Introduction

Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in British Columbia. The mild climate and wonderful natural environment such as the old-growth forest is encouraging the hiking activities particularly in southern BC. In this particular GIS project I will use the existing Vancouver Island Core GIS Data to fit a new hiking trails on the island.

There are already many existing trails on Vancouver Island, but many of the trails are either too long or too difficult for family hiking with young children. Therefore, the aim for this project is to fit a set of new easy hiking trails connecting several campsites within the chosen area. The families can play and stay in the particular campsite overnight and continue their journey in the next morning. This will be a great opportunities for the children to learn and experience more about the natural environment, and a good chance for the parents to stay out of work and relax. As a result this group of hiking trails can be promoted as a two to three nights family hiking trip.
According to the early stage analysis, Port Alberni is a suitable region to build such a set of family hiking trails. This region has a relatively flat and low elevation, which can provide easy trail path, and there are lots of campsites located in this area as well.